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Applying for financial aid, including scholarship funding, is separate from the admissions process. The Law School Office of Admissions and Financial Aid determines scholarship awards, while the Chicago Office of Financial Aid administers loan funding.

The information on this page goes over how students will apply for institutional scholarship funding as well as private student loan funding.
International Students 2026-27 financial aid application deadlines
Program Type Funding Type Application Materials Deadline
JD Institutional Scholarship CSS Profile  March 20, 2026
JD-MBA Institutional Scholarship CSS Profile 

Round 1 admits: November 12, 2025

Round 2 admins: March 3, 2026

Round 3 admits: April 21, 2026
LLM & Tax LLM Institutional Scholarship University Application

May 2, 2026

Considered for scholarship based on academic merit when admitted.
ELLM  Institutional Scholarship University Application

April 1, 2026

Considered for scholarship based on academic merit when admitted.

All JD Students

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1. Complete the CSS Profile

Note: If you do not wish to be considered for institutional scholarships, you only need to complete the Chicago Financial Aid short-form University Aid application.
  1. Complete the CSS Profile through the link provided 
    1. The application can take up to an hour to complete. You may save your progress and return at a later time if needed.
  2.  Pritzker School of Law CSS Code is 1601. Do not use any other Northwestern University CSS Code as they are school specific.
  3. To complete the application, you will need:
    1. Your most recently completed tax returns
    2. W-2 forms and other records of current year income
    3. Records of untaxed income, benefits and assets
    4. Bank statements
Please note:  
    • Northwestern University does not offer fee waivers
    • Northwestern Law considers all JD-MBA applicants independent so parental information is not required. However, if you are married, spousal information must be submitted.
    • The CSS Profile is not unique to Northwestern. Even though we don’t require parental information for applicants 26 or older, we cannot restrict the CSS Profile from asking for that information.
      • We cannot provide guidance on what applicants should enter in the parental information fields, as that can have significant ramifications for applicants seeking aid at other institutions during the admissions process.
      • All parental information received for applications over the age threshold (or those classified as independent) will be discarded and not considered in the application review.

2. Review your financial aid offer via CAESAR

Deadline: As soon as possible after you receive financial aid notice
  • Once tuition and fee figures are finalized for the upcoming academic year, CFAO will release official financial aid offer letters. Learn more about how aid is determined.
  • The Law School Office of Admissions and Financial Aid releases scholarship notifications throughout the spring, starting in late March. 

3. Private Loan Consideration (Optional)

  • Applications for private loan funds must be completed through a lender of your choice. Learn more about private loans at Northwestern.
  • Private loan funds like other types of aid are academic year specific. This means that the loan application that you complete can only be used within one academic year at a time.
  • You must notify our office of your private loan approval via our Private Loan Certification Request form 
  • Final private loan funds eligibility are subject to a combination of your lender's eligibility criteria, cost of attendance, Satisfactory academic progress, and enrollment. 
  • International students interested in obtaining a private student loan may need a credit-worthy U.S. citizen/permanent resident cosigner.

JD-MBA

1. Complete the CSS Profile

Note: If you do not wish to be considered for institutional scholarships, you only need to complete the Chicago Financial Aid short-form University Aid application.
  1. Complete the CSS Profile through the link provided 
    1. The application can take up to an hour to complete. You may save your progress and return at a later time if needed.
  2.  Pritzker School of Law CSS Code is 1601. Do not use any other Northwestern University CSS Code as they are school specific.
  3. To complete the application, you will need:
    1. Your most recently completed tax returns
    2. W-2 forms and other records of current year income
    3. Records of untaxed income, benefits and assets
    4. Bank statements
Please note:  
    • Northwestern University does not offer fee waivers
    • Northwestern Law considers all JD-MBA applicants independent so parental information is not required. However, if you are married, spousal information must be submitted.
    • The CSS Profile is not unique to Northwestern. Even though we don’t require parental information for applicants 26 or older, we cannot restrict the CSS Profile from asking for that information.
      • We cannot provide guidance on what applicants should enter in the parental information fields, as that can have significant ramifications for applicants seeking aid at other institutions during the admissions process.
      • All parental information received for applications over the age threshold (or those classified as independent) will be discarded and not considered in the application review.

2. Review your financial aid offer via CAESAR

Deadline: As soon as possible after you receive financial aid notice
  • Once tuition and fee figures are finalized for the upcoming academic year, CFAO will release official financial aid offer letters. Learn more about how aid is determined.
  • Scholarship award notices are typically sent out via email by the Admissions Office at the time of admission
  • Official aid offer letters are sent via email during the summer before classes begin, if a tuition deposit is submitted. 

3. Private Loan Consideration (Optional)

  • Applications for private loan funds must be completed through a lender of your choice. Learn more about private loans at Northwestern.
  • Private loan funds like other types of aid are academic year specific. This means that the loan application that you complete can only be used within one academic year at a time.
  • You must notify our office of your private loan approval via our Private Loan Certification Request form 
  • Final private loan funds eligibility are subject to a combination of your lender's eligibility criteria, cost of attendance, Satisfactory academic progress, and enrollment. 
  • International students interested in obtaining a private student loan may need a credit-worthy U.S. citizen/permanent resident cosigner.

ELLM in Chicago

1. Complete the University Aid Application

  • Admitted students with access to CAESAR will be able to view the electronic University Aid Application on their "To Do" list in CAESAR by mid-March, 2026.
    • You can find the application by navigating to: CAESAR -> "Tasks" or CAESAR -> Financial Aid-> To Do list (from left-hand navigation). 
  • If you are unable to access this document via your "To-Do List," contact our office.

2. Review your financial aid offer via CAESAR